Home Office

Police: Recruitment

Lord Condon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the 10 most recently appointed Chief Constables in the UK were not internal candidates from the appointing police force, and over what period of time those appointments have taken place.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Three of the ten most recently appointed chief constables in England and Wales were not internal candidates from the appointing police force, although eight of the chief constables have served as a chief officer outside of the force.These appointments have taken place over the period from June 2015 to March 2016.

Department for Transport

Aviation: Security

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all employees at British airports with access to aircraft are being vetted to ensure that they do not constitute a security risk.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All employees with access to a security restricted area of an UK airport and access to aircraft undergo, as a minimum, background and criminal record checks, on recruitment and thereafter. Those undertaking aviation security duties are subject to additional security vetting. We keep our aviation security measures under constant review in light of new threat information from a wide range of sources.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Universities: Antisemitism

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the comments by the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, quoted in The Sunday Times on 8 May, that "the Zionist bashing" at universities "has gone unchallenged".

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Government is clear that there is absolutely no place in higher education or anywhere else in society for bigotry, hatred or any form of racism such as anti-Semitism. Recent reports of anti-Semitism are extremely concerning and must be met with a decisive response. We expect all universities and all bodies with a role in English higher education to be absolutely clear in their opposition to racism in all its forms, and to have robust policies in place to tackle such hatred and support victims. At the Government’s request, Universities UK has set up a taskforce to examine what more can be done to tackle harassment and hate crime on campus, and this includes anti-Semitism within its remit.

Universities: Hate Crime

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 4 May (HL8001), whether they have requested that the taskforce set up by Universities UK includes members of those minorities subject to harassment and hate crime, representatives of the relevant law and order agencies, and independent members with no direct university involvement.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The taskforce, established by Universities UK, is looking at all forms of violence and harassment affecting students. Its task is to bring together students, university experts and external organisations to consider the current evidence and what universities are currently doing to address issues of harassment and hate crime, including anti-Semitism, and what more needs to be done. The taskforce have had meetings with or received evidence from a wide range of organisations which includes the Union of Jewish Students, Rape Crisis, Tell Mama and Stonewall. In regards to anti-Semitism, the Taskforce has also received evidence from the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Community Security Trust. In terms of law and order agencies, evidence has been received from a number of lawyers and from the police via PAHELO (Police Association of Higher Education Liaison Officers).